In response to public concern for energy conservation, and the health and safety of its citizens, many states have either implemented or are considering the implementation of statutes and regulations controlling the disposal of used motor oil and prohibiting improper disposal practices. Service stations, commercial oil changing businesses, fleet operators and individuals who personally change the motor oil in their automobiles, lawnmowers, snow-blowers, tractors and other household and farming equipment with internal combustion engines will now be required to dispose of used motor oil in an environmentally acceptable manner.
Previously, access to convenient collection facilities has been limited. Faced with the inconvenience of distant industrial collection centers, unregulated consumers have improperly disposed of used motor oil by releasing the oil onto the ground or in nearby landfills, sewers, septic tanks, and surface or ground waters.
It is anticipated that fleet operators, service stations and other businesses that change motor oil for the public and similar enterprises will now have an immediate need for a system for collecting and holding such oil until aggregate amounts can be transferred to a recycling center for proper reclamation or refinement. The owner or operator of a used oil collection system will need a means for detecting whether or not the consumer's used motor oil has been contaminated with foreign substances such as hazardous wastes, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), or other harmful substances before placement of the oil in a holding tank. For this reason, a system and method for identifying and collecting unadulterated recyclable motor oil are needed.